Anglers Advice

Fishing is a great outdoor sport that anyone can do whatever their age, gender or physical ability.

The tranquil River Thame, with its continually improving water quality, provides an excellent habitat for a wide range of fish.

There is a great tradition of coarse fishing on the river Thame. This includes dace, chub, roach, perch, pike, gudgeon and a small population of barbel. Most coarse fishing is concentrated on the main river and managed through local angling clubs.

Check clean dry

Invasive non-native species can have a damaging impact on British plants, animals and ecosystems – by spreading disease, competing for habitat and food and direct predation. Please follow the check, clean, dry advice for all your fishing kit. See our invasives page for more information about the threats to our rivers.

It’s the Law!

The law requires any angler over the age of 12 to carry an Environment Agency Rod Licence and have permission to fish from the landowners. Rod licences are easily obtained online from the Environment Agency or at the Post Office. The best way to fish the Thame is to join one of the local fishing clubs who have fishing rights or in some cases own land on the river.

When you can fish

You can fish for any fish during coarse fish open season, which starts on 16 June each year and ends on 14 March of the following year. The coarse fish season is closed from 15 March to 15 June.

Fishing Clubs

Thame Angling Club: have fishing rights to a large section of the river in Thame, you can find out more on their website. This club take pride in managing their stretch of river for the benefit of local anglers and the wildlife that call the river home.

The Tring Anglers: have fishing rights to three sections of the river around Ickford and Shabbington, as well as along the whole of the Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union canal. Tring anglers are great advocates for young anglers and often run family days and educational events.

Fishing News

The river Thame is currently in its first year of a five year restocking plan in which the river will be restocked with in the region of 150,000 fish including dace and chub.